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The past several days have presented me with an opportunity to engage with – and observe – people from all ends of the political spectrum. The emotions have also spanned from one extreme to the other. Some people have been celebrating, as if the Messiah Himself has come to save us. Others have mourned as if …

11 years ago today I was ordained as a Priest in the Coptic Orthodox Church. For the first 8 years, I served at a large parish in urban Queens with approximately 1,000 families, two locations, 4 priests, and about 50% of the community having immigrated from Egypt over the previous 10 years. Since leaving NYC and …

In this talk TRUSTING GOD, we discussed certain things that impact our ability to Trust God and what a life of unrelenting trust looks like. What are things that affect one’s ability to wholeheartedly trust God? Others? How would you describe a person’s life who has an unrelenting trust in God?

“You must be Youssef and Afaf’s son.” Growing up, I heard this all the time. It definitely was not because of our similar appearances, as I looked very different from the rest of my family; I might as well have been adopted. Maybe it was certain mannerisms, figures of speech, or behaviors I had picked …

Knowing the Truth and Standing up for the Truth are two very different things. In this message at the Link we discussed 1 Kings 18:21 and how it informs standing for what is right, even when you are standing alone.

Questions to Ponder

1. What are some factors that affect your ability to stand against cultural & societal forces

2. How would you advise someone who is facing a difficult decision to stand alone?

Growing up in the Sorial family, there are two things I came to expect from my father: Church was a Priority: Rain or shine, blizzard (Michigan), tornado (Texas), or earthquake (California), we would be going to Church, standing as a family, and worshipping God. A Family Garden was Not Optional: Coming from a small village …

It seems like literally every time I look at the news these days, it is covered with horrific images from tragic events, such as France, Egypt, Brussels, Orlando, Dallas, France (again), and so many more. Unfortunately horrific acts of violence and hate have become so commonplace that the news stories seem to almost blend together, …